At a whopping 36 million on its
way to 56 million people in the next 30 years, California leads the
nation as the site of the next water crisis. In Arizona, it’s so hot
and dry, a man can’t spit on a 110 degree summer day. Like lemmings
jumping over a cliff, Colorado follows as it doubles its population
by four million people at mid century.

In a recent documentary, "THIRST,"
by Deborah Kaufman and Alan Snitow, the filmmakers explain how scarce
supplies will cause water costs to rival oil prices as global corporations
take over public resources.

Doubtful, you say? It’s already
happening in Sandy Valley, Calif., where residents contest Vidler
Water Company over water rights. In Colorado, already under restrictions
from several drought years, knowledgeable Front Range residents wonder
where future generations will find water as the state doubles its
population from four to eight million in 50 years. Arizona draws water
from underground aquifers as if there’s no tomorrow. That ‘Hot Climate
State’ expects a doubling in population by mid-century.

On the international scene, a full
35 percent of people on the planet do not have access to clean, safe
drinking water. If you at the current 6.2 billion humans, and then
see the projection for world population reaching as high as 9.8 billion
by 2050, you may grasp that humanity explodes into an intensifying
crisis.

Communities throughout the U.S.
may face international corporations taking over their local water
supplies within the next five to 10 years. "Once they get hold of
the water, be prepared to pay gas prices," Dean Cofer, a Sacramento
engineer, said in the documentary. The producers traveled to three
continents to make the documentary that asks if water is a public
right or is ripe for commercial profit. They concluded that privatization
of public services is an alarming trend that now includes water, as
urban developments demand more reliable supplies.

So, whether you live in Utah, Texas
or Arizona, a water crisis stands looming and "dry" in your future.
It’s already creeping into the crisis stage for California and Colorado.
"People take water for granted until the supply is threatened," the
filmmakers said. "Then it is a life and death issue." Vidler Water
Company searched for water in Sandy Valley four years ago. Vidler
hopes to move water from rural and agricultural areas to urban developments
throughout the West. In Nevada, Vidler’s sister company, PICO, is
the state’s largest private landowner. "At what point does population
and our need to grow crops and feed animals exceed water availability?"
one resident asked. "It’s not like we can make it rain by doing a
little dance."

Sandy Valley residents mounted
a bitter fight against Vidler to protect their water rights, just
as Stockton, Calif., residents opposed OMI-Thames Water, a German-based
corporation, from partnering with the city to deliver water.

"They are going to go where they
can make the most money," filmmaker Snitow said, "then suck the groundwater
out of the entire environment. Water is up for grabs in the United
States for the first time in a century. Water is one thing people
are willing to get active about."

The film documented a story on
the other side of the planet in Rajasthan, India, where a modern-day
Gandhi leads a poor people’s movement for water conservation. That
crisis includes 1.1 billion people, which is an irreversible crisis
with unsolvable problems. At some point involving population, there
is no more water and no way to provide it for such a massive society.

What does this water crisis mean
for America? Will we experience the same shortages as India, China
at 1.3 billion or Bangladesh with 129 million in a landmass the size
of Ohio? Do we explode our population until we face water shortages
because we have used up available sources? What happens when the aquifers
dry up in Arizona? It takes hundreds of years to replenish those underground
lakes. How do we force more rain and snow out of the clouds in Colorado
to increase the Colorado River flow? At what point do we work in harmony
with nature instead of overwhelming her?

Colorado Governor Bill Owens wants
to build more dams to catch more water as a short-term solution. However,
by doubling his state’s population, he simply doubles the inevitable
crisis 50 years from now when rain and snowfall do not double. His
Third World approach and 20th century thinking for solving the dilemma
makes a rational thinking person’s head hurt.

"THIRST" concludes with suggestions
for worldwide conservation efforts and public discussion on how to
work for plentiful water. However, as India grows by an estimated
eight million annually, nowhere does the film discuss population stabilization
as a problem-solving method. What good are solutions that neglect
the core crisis: overpopulation?

Albert Einstein said, "The problems
in the world today are so enormous that they cannot be solved with
the level of thinking that created them."

We must step away from old thinking.
After having seen what is happening in the Third World—where population
has created unsolvable problems—we must exit from traditional paradigm
thinking in America and move toward solutions that will ensure our
children’s future. Old ways of thinking or traditional solutions will
not solve our water crisis. Stabilizing population is the only viable
answer to America’s and the world water crisis. Otherwise, we'll all
be dying of thirst.

Frosty Wooldridge possesses a unique view of
the world, cultures and families in that he has bicycled around the globe
100,000 miles, on six continents in the past 26 years.

He has written hundreds of articles (regularly)
for 17 national and 2 international magazines. He has had hundreds of
editorials published in top national newspapers including the Rocky Mountain
News, Denver Post, Albany Herald and Christian Science Monitor.

His first book, "HANDBOOK FOR TOURING BICYCLISTS"
by Falcon Press is available nationwide. His second book "STRIKE THREE!
TAKE YOUR BASE" by the Brookfield Reader published in January 2002. His
bicycle books include "BICYCLING AROUND THE WORLD."

Frosty Wooldridge has guest lectured at Cornell
University, teaching creative writing workshops, magazine writing at Michigan
State University, and has presented environmental science lectures at
the University of Colorado, University of Denver and Regis University.
He also lectures on "Religion and Ethics" at Front Range College in Colorado.